Researchers have used an elegant method based on statistical mechanics -- called the vertex model -- to create more efficient algorithms to solve complex problems more quickly. The research could solve problems in machine learning, circuit optimization and other major computational challenges.

A new software system helps robots to more effectively act on instructions from people, who by nature give commands that range from simple and straightforward to those that are more complex and imply a myriad of subtasks.

'Using a robotic arm to immerse an object on an axis at various angles, and measuring the volume displacement of each dip, we combine each sequence and create a volumetric shape representation of an object,' says an expert.

While it's relatively straightforward for robots to 'see' objects with cameras and other sensors, interpreting what they see, from a single glimpse, is difficult. New technology enables robots to spot a new object and recognize what it is, whether it is right side up or upside down, without examining it from multiple angles. It can also fill in the blind spots in its field of vision and 'imagine' any parts that are hidden from view.

USB connections, the most common interface used globally to connect external devices to computers, are vulnerable to information 'leakage,' making them even less secure than has been thought, research has shown.

Computer vision algorithms have been used to examine millions of Google Street View images to measure whether and how urban areas are changing. The study found that two key demographic characteristics - high density and high education - play important roles in urban improvement, and showed support for three classical theories of urban change.

A ground-breaking new study challenges the assumption that moral decisions are strongly context dependent and cannot be modeled or described algorithmically, finding that human behavior in dilemma situations can be modeled by a simple value-of-life-based model. The research suggests that human moral behavior can be well-described by algorithms and used by machines to manage moral dilemmas on the road.

Computer scientists have developed a smartphone app that helps people learn the art of taking great selfies. Inside the app is an algorithm that directs the user where to position the camera allowing them to take the best shot possible.